Mysterious flying objects shot down over North America likely not spy balloons, Biden says (USA Today, 2/17/23) How many train derailments have there been in the US in 2023? Frequent train derailments under scrutiny after an ecological disaster struck East Palestine, Ohio (The Independent, 2/17/2023) The murmur of the press corps settles as the President…
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How nuns got squeezed out of the communion wafer business Altar bread was once made by hundreds of communities of nuns across the US. Now, a for-profit company controls nearly the entire market. (The Hustle 10/14/22) Monsignor Abrams adjusts his reading glasses, squinting at the rows of black numbers cascading down the page. He licks…
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Luda I have to begin by admitting that I am buying what Grant Morrison is selling. I enjoy his mainstream comic book work (All-Star Superman, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Doom Patrol, and so on…), and his forays into television like Happy! and Brave New World. But for me, the most Morrisonian…
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Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World There are two aspects of Tara Isabella Burton’s Strange Rites that commend it to the reading list of anyone interested in modern religious studies or cultural movements in general. First is the author directly addresses a very real and often poorly approached trend. Across the globe, we…
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U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he and President Biden had ordered the object violating Canadian airspace to be taken down, a day after another object was shot out of the sky near Alaska. (NY Times 2/11/23) Triggered by unseen relays at the edge of outer space, klaxons…
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Behind many of our ‘cultural war’ issues, there’s a tension that doesn’t make much sense to me. Namely, the categorical difference between material human products and conceptual human products. This distinction has led to innumerable safety standards for nearly everything humans manufacture, grow, or otherwise produce. From food safety standards, building codes, and environmental protection…
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If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ve no doubt heard the buzz about ChatGPT and other generative AI text and image systems. After the initial hype, we’ve seen much pooh-poohing of the real capabilities of these tools. Instead, I want to plant a flag that these baby AI…
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Is your present self sabotaging your future self? It’s time to get all your selves on the same team.
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As I write this, the United States stands on the precipice of an election that will radically shape the future of American politics. The whirlwind of news and hot takes is nearly overwhelming and will likely continue even after the final vote is counted. But amidst the torrent, we have a chance to step back…
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COVID-19 is forcing an educational experiment like nothing the U.S. has even seen. How do we support students, families, and teachers?
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